1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lower jaw moving function readjusting apparatus and a position determination setting apparatus employable for the first-mentioned apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A functional occluding apparatus proposed by a common inventor to the present invention and a corresponding patent filed by him as Japanese Publication Patent No. 51-42874 is filed shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.
Specifically, the functional occluding apparatus includes a base board A on which a lower jaw model H is fixedly mounted, and a gate-shaped supporting member B immovably stands upright from the right-hand end of the base board A. A pair of spherical headed support rods D each having a spherical head C corresponding to a condyle placed on the top end thereof are normally biased in the upward direction from the opposite ends of the gate-shaped supporting member B by the resilient force of coil springs E. A pair of tray-shaped boards F and F' each to be filled with a quick hardenable material are placed on the opposite ends of the gate-shaped supporting member B, and another tray-shaped board I is placed on the left-hand end of the base board A. In addition, the functional occluding apparatus includes a turnable frame J for fixedly holding an upper jaw model G, and a pair of styluses L and L' are suspended from holding pieces K and K' on the opposite ends of the turnable frame J, while another stylus M is suspended from the foremost end of the turnable frame J. The holding pieces K and K' have engagement spaces N and N' on the lower sides thereof so as to allow the spherical heads C to be engaged with the engagement spaces N and N'. With this construction, when the turnable frame J is turnably displaced to the region where molar teeth on upper and lower front teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof, the results derived from the occlusion of the fore-teeth at the central parts of the upper and lower jaws are expressively reproduced on the quick hardenable material filled in the tray-shaped boards F, F' and I.
With respect to the region where molar teeth on upper and lower rear-teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof, turnable distance pieces O and O' adapted to turn in the engagement spaces N and N' are turnably suspended from the latter so as to enable the spherical heads C to be displaced in the rearward direction while the engagement spaces N and N' are widened, whereby the results derived from the occlusion of the rear-teeth at the central parts of the upper and lower jaws are likewise expressively reproduced on the quick hardenable materials in the tray-shaped boards F, F' and I by the styluses L, L' and M in synchronization with the occlusion of the fore-teeth as mentioned above.
In case the styluses L, L' and M move in excess of the aforementioned movement range, while the spherical headed holding rods D are fixedly held by tightening screws P, each movement of the styluses L, L' and M is properly guided by an inclinable projection R in a guiding unit Q disposed in the vicinity of the tray-shaped board I, another stylus S, inclination boards T disposed in the engagement spaces N and N', a guiding piece U and the spherical heads C.
In contrast with the prior functional occluding apparatus, the conventional functional occluding apparatus constructed in the above-described manner makes it possible to expressively reproduce not only the region where molar teeth on the upper and lower fore-teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof but also the region where molar teeth on the upper and lower rear-teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof. With respect to the range in excess of the aforementioned regions, however, the conventional functional occluding apparatus can not properly expressively reproduce practical movement of a patient's lower jaw merely by detecting the movement of the teeth on the upper and lower jaws in the form of two-dimensional displacement of them on a single plane, although this plane can freely be inclined.